justamom Report post Posted February 23, 2006 Does anyone else have this problem my son has a fascination with fire. At one stage he was stealing my hubbies lighters and we had to hide them all and make sure that there were none left in the house... He just does not understand that fire is so dangerous. We caught him in his room lighting a piece of paper and we had to explain to him that it could have burnt the house down. He said " Fire can't burn a telly" so he has no understanding of what a fire can do.. A friend lent us a video about fire but it was rather old and it did not have much impact on him, but its seem that his fascination has returned. Maybe we have become lax and we need to step up our game and be more vigliant but how do we get him out of this??? Any body got any advice it would be most appreicated.. justamom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jen Report post Posted February 23, 2006 Hi Justamom, We found lots of burnt matches in my sons room and under his bed. (He was only 6 years old) My child also had a fasination with fire and we had to stop buying matches. My son had to learn the hard way and get burned before he realised fire was dangerous. But he still has a fasination 2 years later Jen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarerQuie Report post Posted February 23, 2006 My son has also been fascinated by fire.I have purchased a fire blanket (following an incident when he set fire to a coat. I think that a social story may help.xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Report post Posted February 23, 2006 Hi justamom <'> My son had his loving story with fire at around 6/7 and things are better now since I accidently set fire to some oil on the stove, nothing much but he got quite upset and scared so I took the oportunity to explain how fire can be dangerous and spread so quilckly. Another thing I do with him was to let him lit candles in front of me as well as playing with a little encense stick I think this help him canalised his attraction for fire and he do not feel the need to do it behind my back. Hope this help. Take care. <'> Malika. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Report post Posted February 23, 2006 I forgot to add that nobody smoke at home and the cooker is completly on electrics so no matches or lighter around except the one I of course hidefor the right occasion. Malika. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisa Report post Posted February 24, 2006 My son has always been fascinated by fire. He's set fire to the bin and also to our front room, luckily I managed to put the fire out but it was very frightening how quickly it takes hold!! We had to claim on the insurance to have the room redecorated. This has been going on since he was about 3. It's like a compulsion with him. He's nearly 12 and so far we've managed to avoid any more fires. We allow him to light the bbq and the open fire under supervision on the condition that he doesn't "play" with matches. However it's very annoying. We have to watch him the whole time as he can't seem to then leave the fire alone and will keep prodding it with the poker or putting things on it. He drives me mad. Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madmooch Report post Posted February 24, 2006 OMG, So this is what i have to look forward to H is 4 and he loves fires, he stares at the fire and grins when it's on, I also have to take him round the local electrical store to see the fires, Luckily he doesn't know how to work lighters yet and we dont keep matches in the house, I'll have to buy a safe for my lighters now Clare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintess Report post Posted February 24, 2006 hiya,i have also have had this over a yr ago with ds2,he tried to set the playhouse alight and we stopped him in time although there is a mark where he tried.i personally dont have lighters in the house but my very good friend does smoke.since this incident she does not smoke in my home and is very careful with her lighters as we think it must of been her ones that ds2 got hold off.we explained to him why it was dangerous and also took him to the local fire brigade to also explain.since then i have not had another incident and am hoping that is the end to it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stressedmumto2 Report post Posted February 24, 2006 My son too also had a fascination with fires, sneaking out lighters from friends bags, then going in the garden to make campfires. The most dangerouse thing he doen was turned on the oven hob and was trying tolight paper from it. We got round it by having two fire officers come into the home and talk to him alot. They were great. They showed a video of children just playing with matches and how dangerous it could become. All the time they talked calm to him and said that he was a bright kid, they even said to him maybe one day he could join the fire brigade if he wanted. They were not forcefull and told him he shouldn'd do it but explained to him the dangers he could be getting himself into. He knew all the rules and everything but was so fascinated. Eventually after 4 visits we've had no more acting out making fires. I don't know weather it was due to them talking or just that he kind of got bored with it. It may be worth having fire officer round just to have a chat with him and the whole family. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tmf Report post Posted February 24, 2006 I can't beleive this, my 6 yr old son set fire in a restaurant last month. He took a liking to the waitress and at the end of the evening follwed her around (she was clearing up as not many people left). She was blowing out the candles, and ds thought he would copy, except he took it one stage further and put a napkin in it.....am sure you can imagine the results, one little fire and patting it out on the floor. ....EMBARRESSED or what! Instead of frightening him he has only become more fascinated and am now considering calling the fire station to see if some1 can talk to him about the dangers of fires. tmf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted February 24, 2006 My NT son who has just turned 5 has a thing about fire. We found a stash of lighters and bits of paper under his bed, he stole them from peoples bags and houses, I even caught him trying to twice. He also kept trying to start our living room gas fire and regularly managed to turn the gas on several times . Since then he's seen the state of a child my sister looks after who managed to set fire to his pjs and severely burnt his legs, he's had 4 skin grafts. I have used the look at ****, that was caused by fire, it can do very bad things. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lorryw Report post Posted February 25, 2006 Hi Justamom, Our local fire service have a fire education department. We always had a yearly visit at the primary I work in from a group of burly firemen. They arrived with videos,booklets and a wonderful static caravan which contained a mock up of a kitchen/lounge and all the possible fire hazzards. The children thoroughly enjoyed it and came away with a valuable lesson. The scrum in the staff room to make these lovely firemen tea was a sight to behold....... I would thoroughly recommend getting in touch with your local fire service for help and advice. Love Lorainexx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justamom Report post Posted February 25, 2006 Hi all, thanks for the replies - sorry not replied earlier dd been in hospital with suspected appendix - but I am going to phone the local fire station and see if I can arrange a visit or join a group when someone next visits. thanks justamom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ksasnic Report post Posted February 26, 2006 Nick when he was younger had a fascination with the electric cooker- don't be complacent about it being electric- he would turn on the knobs and set fire to a tea towel that was just touching the hotplate- all the plates I had piled there were burnt and cracked, the smoke was everywhere.... he had snuck out of his room and I think decided to get his breakfast.. eitherway even after we installed the stairgate again and bolted the kitchen door he still managed to go in the kitchen and turn it on at the mains and the same again with the smoke which we woke up to !!!! then we made sure everything was away in cupboards and even took the precaution of turning off the cooker at the mains electric box everynight while he wasn't looking otherwise he would have turned it on there and round 2 of my dinner plates... this then transferred to his fascination with locks and bolts and yup he opened the front door and would go on walkabout all this aged 2-4... it stopped for a while then when we had moved he set fire to the bin- we found out he had lit a candle and when it set the tea towel alight then he picked up both and threw them in the bin!!! the bin was plastic, full of paper and also some grease from the frying pan...smoke and flame all over... luckily he hasn't shown much interest in rekindling this obsession again !! Good luck though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justamom Report post Posted February 26, 2006 It quite drastic i know but i would have loved to have shown him a little girl in hosp with my dd over the week-end who was very badly burnt 3 years ago and she was not having reconstructive surgery it might just have shown him how badly it can hurt you. It might have freaked him out abit too much! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justamom Report post Posted February 26, 2006 meant to read now having Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fairies72 Report post Posted February 26, 2006 meant to read now having Hi Over the years my son has also been intrigued by fire.When he was 8 he put a cushion on the fireplace till it burnt then put the smouldering cushion in his wardrobe to hide the evidence ,i guess.Luckily he was ok and no damage was done.Last christmas he decided to put some paper on the lights in his bedroom and again tried to hide it .Hes 12 now and the fascination hasn't seemed to have dissapeared. Lisa x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hectorshouse Report post Posted February 28, 2006 Have had this problem with both my boys A who is NT and now T, with A it was always a fascination, and became a very serious problem when he set fire to the old sofa in the garage to see if it would burn and ... yes it did!!! the fire service were a great help and came and saw him, brought videos of fires etc ... and the problem stopped when he was about 13. Unfortunately T has just discovered this illicit joy .. came downstairs on Monday during half term, went to make the sofa and when I shook the throw 20 burnt matches fell out, the throw was scorched etc ... , when I challenged T he denied it point blank, but in the end admitted it (he was prepared to let his big brov take the fall for it mind you) ... having been through this with A, I promptly read T the riot act, he was meant to be meeting up with friends over half term, it broke my heart as he doesn't really have many friends but I removed this privilege, also as A looks after T when I work, I also gave A the liberty to decide what T could do when I was at work, bearing in mind that T was going to let A take the blame, T was made fully aware of this and it has worked quite well so far ... but all matches, lighters etc are now always locked away or not allowed in the house, a fire blanket purchased and all batteries in the smoke alarm tested and renewed!!! Oh the joys of parenthood, I don't think it is just an AS thing I think its just a fascination, and from talking to other parents it seems a more popular interest in boys. HHxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
